Eat Your Wellness: Easy, Healthy Pancakes

FYI... Today is National Pancake Day! Now, before you go making plans at IHOP to eat stacks of ooey gooey pancakes made with ingredients you know nothing about, take a look at this recipe. First off, it's SO quick! The kind of thing you can prep and cook when you need food NOW. Second, there are minimal ingredients, [4 to be exact], that are all healthy for you. Last, and probably most important, aside from the plates you eat these babies off from, you've only got 3 things to clean: a Nutribullet cup & blade, a pan, and a spatula. Check out the 4 ingredients below.

Yummmmmm!

Ingredients:

1. Oats
2. Eggs
3. Water or Milk (Almond, Coconut, or Dairy if you prefer)
4. Cinnamon
5. OPTIONAL: I also throw in Flax Seeds to make my pancakes more nutrient dense

Directions:

• Heat your pan to medium heat, then throw a dab of coconut oil, [or any oil you prefer!] in.
• Grab your smaller-sized Nutribullet cup & dump your oats in there.
• Every 1/4 of the cup you fill = about 4 small pancakes or 2 large pancakes.
• Throw in 1-2 tsp of cinnamon with your oats.
• Add you Flax Seeds if you want to use them.
• Screw on the blade, then mix it for 5-10sec to mull the oats into a flour.

• Add a single egg if you're cooking 2-4 large pancakes/4-8 small. Or add 2 eggs if you're making more.
• Pour in your milk until you've matched 1/2 of the amount of flour in the cup.

• Throw the blade back on & mix for about 10sec until the mix turns to a batter.
• If it's too thin, no stress! The oat flour, just like oats, will absorb the liquid. So you can wait a few minutes until the batter is the consistency you prefer.
• All that is super quick, so be sure your pan is actually heated.
• Once the pan is hot enough, pour the batter right from the cup and into the pan.

TOO easy, right?!

And that's really it! I know you know how to take it from there. Make the pancakes your desired size, dress them with the toppings you enjoy, [personally, I love bananas, walnuts & maple syrup!], and have a happy National Pancake Day, guilt, [& mess], free!

How did your 1st attempt at these go?! Snap a pic & show me on FB/IG/TW @cassiebstrong!

B Well & Happy National Pancake Day!

Cassie B.

Momma B: Overcoming the Winter Blues

I think my fellow New Englanders will agree - this time of year can be draining. The dark mornings and gray days often leave us feeling tired and worn out. That's why it's important to have a variety of strategies to use when you need an extra pick me up. Finding things that energize you can be challenging, but by making an effort to be more conscientious about how your lifestyle choices affect your mood, it's possible to develop an understanding of what foods and activities best elevate your spirits. 

“Eat whole foods that will nourish your body, make time for activities that will nourish your soul, and you’ll create a body and life that’s not fit to host any seasonal blues!”

When we're feeling 'blah' it's easy to forget that the choices we make everyday play a big role in how we feel. Movement is important for our digestion, circulation and respiratory health. We already know staying active is a huge component of any healthy, happy lifestyle, but so isn't your diet. Don't turn to sugary snacks to temporarily boost your mood. It's difficult to feel inspired and happy when your body is struggling to function on chemical, artificial and toxic "foods". Sugar can give you a high and make you feel energized in the short term, but as soon as your blood sugar levels fall, your mood will plummet too. Instead, eat plenty of cooked, nutritious foods throughout the winter, seasoned with warming spices, like cinnamon, cayenne and ginger, that promote easy, comfortable digestion. And when the sun is actually out, be sure to get out and soak that Vitamin D up! This is an easy, effortless way to boost your mood.

Taking time this season to restore and renew may be more vital than any other time of the year. Eat whole foods that will nourish your body, make time for activities that will nourish your soul, and you'll create a body and life that's not fit to host any seasonal blues!

B Well,

Momma B.

Eat Your Wellness: [RECIPE] Creamless New England Shrimp Chowder

I got a Dutch Oven from my Grandmother for Christmas and to say I love it would be an understatement! This sucker is a life saver... well, it's really a time saver, which, to me, is everythinggg!!

With it being winter, and me being a curry lover, I searched for curry recipes online and found one for Curried Cauliflower Soup - what? OK! And that's the thing... I made it, and it was just OK... I felt like I was eating a cream soup, like spoonfuls of New England Clam Chowder minus the clams and potatoes and all the chunks of flavor we love it for. That's when the lightbulb went off... I'll make a mock chowder! So I did. And it was bomb. Here's how I did it:

Ingredients:

• 2 cups chopped cauliflower
• 1 small yellow onion chopped
• 3 cups organic vegetable broth
• 1 cup organic coconut milk
• 1/2 tsp coriander
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 2 large carrots, peeled
• 2 medium potatoes, cut into large chunks
• 2 cups of (thawed) shrimp, cut into small chunks

Instructions:

• Heat oven to 375 F
• Spread chopped cauliflower & onion over baking sheet, drizzle in Olive Oil, (I used a chili infused olive oil for extra heat), then sprinkle with a little bit of salt.

• Roast these veggies in the oven for about 20 minutes. When you see the Cauliflower start to brown, they're done.
• While they're roasting, mix the veggie broth, coconut milk, & spices, then throw them into the dutch oven.

• When the cauliflower and onions are finished roasting, add them to the dutch oven, then bring it all to a boil.
• Let it boil 5 minutes, then remove from the heat.

• As it cools, boil your carrots & potatoes to preferred softness.
• While they boil, chop up your shrimp into preferred bite size.
• When carrots & potatoes finish, chop them into preferred bite size.

• Hopefully now your soup will have cooled enough. Time to blend it into a paste, (I used my Nutribullet!).
• Dump the curried cauliflower paste back into the dutch oven, add the shrimp, carrots & potatoes, season with black pepper to taste, (and maybe warm it up a little again if it's cooled off too much).
• Serve & enjoy!

Momma B: 4 Habits to Reduce Sugar Intake

How much sugar are you actually eating each day?

Have you ever taken the time to tally up the amount of sugar you eat in a day? I guarantee you will be shocked.

We all eat too much sugar! Even when I was reading labels to ensure I was eating five ingredients or less I was eating too much sugar! The recommended daily allowance for sugar is 25 grams. That is only 6 teaspoons, and it adds up fast. If you drink a small Dunkin Donuts Strawberry Coolatta in the morning on the way to work, you have already taken in more than your daily allowance. That drink alone has 58 grams of sugar! A small French Vanilla Ice Coffee has 24 grams of sugar. Those are examples of beverages we often drink along with our meals. Imagine, between the drink and food, how much sugar you consume in a single meal... It's no wonder we can't lose weight, right?! Sugar isn't merely keeping us fat though, it also plays a large role in the development of many devastating illnesses like cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and many more.

Our bodies do require trace, (small), amounts of sugar to function properly, but the average American is consuming close to 130lbs a year of sugar a year! That certainly isn't a small amount. It's time to be more mindful of the sugar in our diet. Here are a few tips to reduce your sugar intake:

• Eat regular meals. Do not skip breakfast! Start your day eating proteins and vegetables. This will help regulate your blood sugar levels so you'll avoid cravings for sweets throughout the day.
• Eat whole foods. That means food in it's natural form, and, ideally, plant based - lots of fruits and vegetables.
• Move your body! We often reach for sugary treats when we feel low on energy. Find your choice of movement to get endorphins flowing for a natural energy and mood boost. This can help reduce your sugar intake.
• Get your sleep. As I mentioned above, one of the most common triggers for sugar cravings is being overtired. When we are sleep deprived, we reach for sugar to gives us energy. Get yourself on a regular sleep schedule, and be sure you are getting 8-9 hours each night, so that you wake up with ample energy for the day ahead.

Changing any one habit takes time. Focus on one thing from this list at a time to ensure these changes become habits that all contribute to your healthier lifestyle. Be kind to yourself and keep it simple! 

Momma B: Chew On This

Are you chewing your food or are you inhaling it? Did you know that chewing your food is just as important as the food you are eating?  Digestion begins in your mouth. When you don’t take the time to chew your food properly, your body won't digest as efficiently and you may experience all kinds of discomfort. The digestive enzymes found in your saliva begin the process of breaking the food you eat down, and preparing the nutrients for absorption. Chewing your food thoroughly is important for the maximum absorption of all the vitamins and minerals present in the foods you eat. When your food isn’t properly broken down, it can remain undigested and cause gas, bloating and indigestion. 

On average, most of us are only chewing each bite 8-10 times. This is not enough! We need to chew each bite at least 30 times.  This may sound like a lot, but the benefits you will get from one simple act is worth the extra time. This can help aid your digestion, boost nutrient absorption and help you maintain a healthy weight.

Aren't sure whether or not you're chewing enough? Start paying attention next time you eat to how many chews you do before you swallow. If you're far below 30 chews, make changes slowly: increase by 5 chews until you reach 30 for each bite. 

Here are more tips to help you improve your digestion by chewing:

- Put your fork down between bites. This way you don’t put more in your mouth while you're already chewing.

- Savor each bite. It's worth it! The more we chew the sweeter our food becomes.

- Turn off the TV and put away other electronics. Just focus on what you're eating. 

- Be kind to yourself! Creating new habits takes time. As long as you're not using your fork as a shovel, you're making progress :)